You are the communication director at Acme Widget Co. and oversee a small team of direct reports. The CEO has recently brought three items to your attention that he would like you to address.
Part I: Communication Plan
The first item impacts external communication strategies. A new bicycle model that was part of a prerelease trial recently received many poor reviews on a prominent online marketplace website. One of the most-read reviews was from a customer with a high user following. The review read:
“I’m an avid biker, and I was all for the automatic downhill braking feature on this bike, but ten minutes into my first ride, the automatic braking kicked in while I was still on a flat stretch and threw me over the handlebars directly into the road. Thankfully, there was no traffic and I walked away with just some nasty scrapes and bruises. This could have been a lot worse if I were riding on a busy road. If you’re riding in any kind of high-traffic area or intend to go faster than 5 mph, do NOT get this bike!”
There was a problem with the prerelease braking sensor, but it was fixed before it was released to the general public. You need to explain to your team how you can work together to rebrand the product and use multiple mass-media channels to reach various audiences to increase sales, despite the poor reviews.
The second item impacts internal communication. It has come to the CEO’s attention that employees aren’t reading the monthly newsletter, a lengthy but helpful print publication that addresses everything from birthday shoutouts to organizational announcements. Recently, employees have been chatting about an upcoming reorganization of staff and getting anxious, but aren’t reading the newsletter that has accurate information. It is important for employees to read the publication so they can get accurate information at appropriate times, avoid spreading misinformation and speculation, and keep everyone informed. You’ll need to create a few key strategies that can help increase the efficacy of information sharing with employees.
Part II: Hiring Request
The third item impacts the size of your team. The CEO informed you that your department has been given a substantial budget increase in order to hire for three new communication positions that will help the company address current and emerging trends in the field. While the funds have been allocated for this purpose, you will need to explain the need for these new roles.
Prompt
Part I: Communication Plan
Use the Communication Plan Template to complete the criteria below. As you complete these sections of the communication plan, make sure to use Module Four resources to guide you, and cite any sources you use in APA format.
Specifically, you must address the following rubric criteria:
Business Problem Identification:
Define each problem the business faces in the Part I scenario.
Identify and explain the communication theory or theories that most appropriately explain the root cause of the problems.
Potential Solutions:
Draft a few possible solutions to each business problem in the Part I scenario. (These will be refined at a later date, and bullet points are okay to use in this section of this milestone.)
Theory:
Explain how you are considering communication theory as you brainstorm and evaluate potential solutions.
Describe specific theories that can help you understand the business problem.
Explain how a potential solution could be supported by a specific theory.
Explain how a potential solution can be ruled out as ineffective based on a specific theory.
Part II: Hiring Request
Fill in the Trends section of the Hiring Request Form to explain the current state and emerging future of communication. As you complete this section, make sure to use Module Five resources to guide you, and cite any sources you use in APA format.
Specifically, you must address the following rubric criteria:
Professional and Social Trends:
Describe current professional and social trends that are impacting the field of communication.
Explain how each trend you identify is improving or impeding communications, making sure to support your analysis with supporting resources.
New and Emerging Technologies:
Describe new and emerging technologies that are impacting the field of communication.
Explain how each is improving or impeding communication.
What to Submit
To complete this project, you must submit the following:
Template: Communication Plan Template Word Document
This template will guide you as you complete your communication plan. For this milestone, you only need to complete the sections Business Problem Identification and Supporting Theories. You will also need to draft a few ideas for solutions to each business problem in the Proposed External Communication Solution and Proposed Internal Communication Solution sections.
Template: Hiring Request Form Word Document
Use this Hiring Request Form to explain why your department requires new positions. For this milestone, you only need to complete the Trends section. It is suggested that you continue to add to your Milestone One submission, where you have already filled in the Historical Context section of this template.
